


What makes you Beautiful

by Runadaemon



Series: Fluff Week 2020 [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Flustered Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Flustered Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Hurt/Comfort, Love Square Fluff Week, Love Square Fluff Week 2020, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nino Lahiffe Is So Done, Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Protective Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:55:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22647517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runadaemon/pseuds/Runadaemon
Summary: When Marinette forgets she's talking to Adrien, everything's fine. It's when she remembers that things go wrong.Alternatively, Nino is a good bro, but has terrible timing.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Series: Fluff Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1625758
Comments: 23
Kudos: 501





	What makes you Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> *YEETS*

ML Fluff Week 2020, Day 4: “Your Voice”

The first time they grew aware of it was during a group project. In an attempt to have Marinette actually contribute to the work, they sat her next to Adrien. The way Alya explained it to Nino later was that if Marinette couldn’t stare at him, maybe she could use her brain cells. Judging by the way Marinette and Adrien spent the first 20 minutes fidgeting and sneaking glances at each other, Nino would have called it a failure.

However, after the first 20 minutes Adrien cracked a terrible joke, and Marinette gave a giggle whilst staring down at her work. Nino watched Adrien’s face brighten at the giggle, and then glanced to Marinette only to see an amused smile playing about her lips. Without missing a beat, Marinette murmured a reply to Adrien.

“Really? That’s the best you’ve got?” Nino noted how her voice was absentminded, scanning the document she was trying to parse, but Adrien didn’t seem to realize she wasn’t paying attention. Instead, he swelled with playful indignation, and grinned wider than Nino had ever seen from him at school.

“I’ve got plenty of ampunition, thank you very meowch.” Adrien replied, grinning mischievously as he leaned sideways to observe Marinette’s reaction. Marinette snorted, and leaned against him absently. Nino watched the panic and pleasure battle across his bro’s face, fascinated by this entirely new dynamic the ‘Sweetheart Duo’ presented. Nino saw the moment Adrien relaxed into the touch and leaned into Marinette, creating a cute picture of domesticity and trust. Adrien’s pink face looked just as content as Marinette’s amused one, and Nino felt his inner fanboy coo.

“Sure you do, cat boy. Help me figure out this English phrase, would you? What does this mean when it’s combined with this situation?” Marinette pointed to the spot on her paper, and Adrien leaned forward. Marinette never glanced over at Adrien, instead leaning more securely into the groove between his neck and shoulder, briefly knocking her head against his chest companionably whenever he began to get sidetracked.

Nino wasn’t able to concentrate on anything else for the rest of the study session. The way they melted together, and the confident drawl Marinette used to tease Adrien was something he’d never seen before. He watched Adrien eat up the attention, practically purring and vibrating in glee at the close touching and easy attention she bestowed without ever looking at him. As much as they flowed together like two refrains in different octaves, the discordant notes they sparked when they were wrapping up was enough to hurt his heart.

“ACK! GAHDRI! WHATREMETODO! I MEAN!” Marinette’s voice was high, squeaky and so discordant it hurt Nino’s ears. He watched the way Adrien’s body jolted in shock, before slinking away in disappointment, and that hurt even more. Nino took in the pained expression on Adrien’s face and felt anger on his friend’s behalf.

Sure, he could understand Marinette’s nerves, but did she not see how much it hurt when she pulled away and treated Adrien like some alien? Nino scowled as he watched the two fumble through their goodbyes, and laid a supportive hand on Adrien’s shoulder as he sadly watched the girls leave. Nino was almost ready for Adrien’s inevitable question.

“What did I do wrong?” Adrien softly asked. Nino sighed in frustration and impotent anger. There wasn’t much Nino could say without causing some serious issues if he messed it up. It wasn’t his place to out Marinette or her crush, no matter how much he wanted to reassure his friend.

“You didn’t do anything, Bro. It’s something Dudette has to work out herself.” Nino’s face settled in determination. “But I’ll see what I can do. You like hanging with her, right?” Nino double-checked, glancing at Adrien just to be sure.

Adrien’s face was full of hope and disbelief. “Who wouldn’t want to hang out with Marinette? She’s amazing. I just wish she liked hanging out with me too.” Adrien’s small frown was thoughtful. “But she seemed fine during the project. What set her off?”

Nino winced. “Probably just lost her groove, dude. Don’t let it bother you.” Adrien nodded back, unconvinced.

*********************************************

The next day, Nino pulled Marinette aside, shooing even Alya away. “Marinette, I need to talk to you.” Nino pulled her off to the side, making sure no one was close enough to overhear before pinning a tired Marinette with a no-nonsense stare. “You’ve gotta get that babble under control. You were fine until you saw his face yesterday. What’s wrong?”

Nino watched Marinette grab her face dramatically and squeeze as she pulled down. It was a hilarious face, but not helpful for furthering the conversation. Nino was here on a mission, and he was going to help his bro, no matter what.

“I know, Nino, and I’m sorry.” Marinette grimaced, holding her cheeks with her hands. “I just, when I see his face, I lose it. I don’t even know why.” Marinette started pacing while Nino frowned at her. “It’s not even because he’s so pretty, I just… I see his face and I realize he’s right there and he’s probably judging me and I’m so,” Marinette made an incomprehensible gesture. “While he’s here and so,” Another incomprehensive gesture. “Do you know what I mean?” Marinette looked up at him beseechingly.

Nino pushed away the thoughts of how her baby blue eyes were too adorable to disappoint, firmly committed to helping his best bro. “I don’t. My bro is my bro. He can’t help his face, Dudette. What you’re doing isn’t fair to him.” Nino crossed his arms, taking in Marinette’s surprised expression.

“You didn’t realize your babbling hurts his feelings? He was really hurt yesterday when you basically screamed in his face and ran away, you know. I know what it’s like to have a crush, but you have to do better than that, Marinette. Adrien really wants to get to know you, and screaming at him doesn’t help anyone.”

Nino ignored the feeling of guilt that welled up in conjunction with Marinette’s tears. He saw the heartbreak on her face and resolutely ignored his arms aching to hold her tight and pet her head. To be sure he didn’t break, he clenched his hands around his upper arms tightly. Marinette had that effect on everyone, but Nino had to put his bro first. Nino didn’t see Adrien rapidly approaching from behind him.

“I hurt him?” Marinette whimpered out. Nino nodded. Marinette’s tears spilled over, and she covered her mouth with a stifled sob. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t think he’d care enough to be bothered by my… my insane rambles.” Nino sighed. Nino had thought Marinette might believe that, but hoped she would see Adrien paying just as much attention to her as she does to him at times. Marinette closed her eyes as tears trailed down her cheeks, and he finally gave in to the urge to wrap his arms around her. As he patted her head, he felt her shudder with suppressed sobs.

“It’ll be okay, Dudette. But you’ve gotta treat him better, okay? He doesn’t deserve-” Nino found himself cut off as Adrien swung them both around. Nino stared at his best bro in bewilderment as Adrien stared hard at Nino wrapped around a crying Marinette.

“What’s going on?” Adrien demanded. Oddly, Nino felt like Adrien was ready to kick his ass, and he wasn’t sure the Sunshine Boy even knew how to fight. Marinette sniffled with her eyes still closed, lips trembling and eyes squeezed shut. “Marinette? Why are you crying? Nino? What happened?” Nino gaped uselessly. He hadn’t expected to be interrupted, and wasn’t prepared to answer anything.

“I’m a baaaaad friiiieeeeeend.” Marinette wailed, finally letting her thoughts out. Marinette descended into full on crying, and before Nino could blink Adrien had already taken Marinette from his arms with a heavy glare. As Adrien shushed and bounced Marinette curled into his arms like a child, he resumed glaring at Nino.

Nino waved his arms defensively, trying and failing to think of an explanation. Nino shook his head in a patented ‘It wasn’t me!’ gesture, which Adrien showed zero interest in believing. Just as Nino began to fear for his friendship, Marinette burst. “I’m sooooooorrrrrrryyyyyyy Adriiiiiiiieeeeeen.” Marinette sobbed. “So-so-soooooorrrrrry!”

Adrien looked completely rattled, holding Marinette in a princess-carry and unable to truly begin to soothe her. Nino watched as Adrien glanced around before walking to some steps nearby and sitting. Adrien curled Marinette more securely across his lap, and held her tightly with one arm while rubbing her hair gently with the other.

“Sshhhh, shhh, no, Marinette, no. You’re a great friend, you’re the best, shhhh, no sweetie, don’t cry, it’s okay, please princess, calm down for me, shhhh” Adrien rocked back and forth, murmuring quietly into Marinette’s ear. Marinette relaxed and quieted a bit, curling into a ball in his lap and sniffling into his shoulder. Nino couldn’t believe how the two made such an awkward position look so comfortable and effortless, but he was both impressed and intimidated.

Nino hadn’t even known Adrien could carry someone around so effortlessly, let alone soothe a friend with his voice while glaring daggers with his eyes at another. Nino felt the stabbing pain like a phantom murder happening behind the scenes. Nino scratched his head and glanced around, glad to see hardly anyone else had noticed anything amiss. When he turned back, Marinette was murmuring nonsense to Adrien with her head buried in his neck.

“dintmeantoChat,sosorryAdienhuthimmmm” Nino wasn’t sure she was speaking French properly, but Adrien didn’t seem to have any issues understanding her. Adrien curled more protectively around his classmate until Nino could hardly see Marinette for the boy wrapped around her.

“It’s okay, Marinette. Adrien isn’t mad at you, you’re fine. I’m here, princess, just calm down, sweetie. You’re too precious to turn into an akuma, okay? Take some deep breaths for me, let’s calm down together. In two three four, good, out two three four five six, excellent princess.” Nino wondered when Adrien had started calling Marinette princess before deciding it really didn’t matter. He should probably be making sure Marinette didn’t get akumatized right now.

Nino took on lookout position, checking to be sure no butterflies appeared. To his immense shock, he immediately saw a purple butterfly zooming towards Marinette, faster than he’d ever seen an akuma fly before. “Shit!” Nino exclaimed, removing his hat and batting at it. The butterfly was single-minded, completely focused on trying to get to Marinette until suddenly it hovered in place.

To Nino’s shock, the butterfly almost fell to the floor before it abruptly turned around and began to fly away slowly. Behind him, Nino could hear some scuffling before Ladybug’s kwami suddenly flew in out of nowhere and ate the butterfly. With a burp, the kwami spat out a white butterfly and giggled, waving at the humans before flying off without a word.

Nino just gawked. He’d never seen an akuma so focused on a person, especially moving so quickly, let alone Ladybug’s kwami coming out to eat one. Nino slowly turned around, almost dreading what he might see. What he saw was a protective Adrien glaring in the direction of the butterfly, and a preternaturally focused Marinette in a meditative stance. Adrien protectively pulled Marinette back into a close hug, while Marinette slowly lost her meditation stance and breathed out in relief.

“Is it gone?” Marinette asked the air. Her eyes weren’t focused on anyone, and Nino noted the lines of exhaustion he hadn’t really been aware of before. Nino cleared his throat, but Adrien beat him to answering.

“Yeah, princess, all gone.” Marinette immediately became boneless, flopping into Adrien’s embrace without a care and closing her eyes with a hum. Nino felt his world view crack again. He needed to understand what was going on, but he just couldn’t reconcile what he was seeing with what he knew to be true.

“What was THAT?!” Nino burst out. Marinette blearily opened her eyes, glancing in his direction but not looking at him directly. Nino felt his confusion and frustration spilling over. “What is going on? Why are you two,” Nino gestured at the two, words failing. “And why did the butterfly lose interest?! I’ve never seen one so determined before! What’s going on?!”

Marinette sighed and nuzzled Adrien’s chin with her eyes closed for a moment, as though gathering strength. Then she leaned forward and allowed Adrien to wrap his arms around her waist and rest his head on her shoulder with little more than a smile. “Sorry Nino. That was… well, it’s almost normal for me now. When I get too stressed,” Marinette shrugged and gave a tired smile while Nino attempted to not pull his hair from the roots.

Nino was glad to note the fury and concern that appeared in Adrien’s face as well. At least this was news to more than just him. “How is any of this normal for you?!” Nino asked. He really couldn’t believe he could have missed how stressed Marinette must have been to have a breakdown at the drop of a hat like that.

“Well,” Marinette began tiredly. “I think Hawkmoth is targeting me. Any time I get upset, an akuma will show up within minutes. I’ve been pushing everything down for weeks now, so when we talked, everything just bubbled up.” Marinette sighed and leaned into Adrien’s arms as he tightened them defensively. “It’s okay, kitty. I guess when I realized I wasn’t treating Adrien well, I just, broke. Meditation helps when I see them coming, so there’s that at least.” Marinette shrugged with a hopeless smile. Nino felt his heart break a little at the defeated look she wore. Marinette should never have gotten to this point.

Marinette stroked along Adrien’s arm, before frowning and glancing down. Nino watched with bafflement as Marinette’s eyes widened and a high pitched teakettle sound escaped her lips. “Ch-ch-ChaT?” Marinette whimpered. Nino saw Adrien’s eyes widen in panic before he abruptly loosened his hold on Marinette. Marinette immediately closed her eyes, as though bracing for something.

“Well, actually,” Adrien began with a nervous chuckle. “Sorry, Marinette, you just seemed to uh, mix me up with Chat, and it seemed to help, so,” Adrien bit his lip. Nino felt something in the back of his brain attempting to connect dots, but another, larger part of his brain absently squished it, too focused on the possible romance developing in front of his eyes. So this was why Alya always pushed them together, Nino mused. It really was fascinating to watch.

“Sorry, I just really wanted you to calm down. Will you forgive me, princess?” Adrien sent his largest, prettiest pleading green eyes at Marinette, who slowly opened one eye, before giving a soundless scream at the sight of Adrien’s entreating face. Nino watched her slam her eyes closed once again, and gave a sigh of his own at the hurt look on Adrien’s face.

“Marinette, dude, you’re doing it again.” Nino softly reprimanded her. He already regretted even having this talk with her, but if she was going to have a break down over it, at least he could point it out and help her change the behaviors that were hurting Adrien. It would keep the breakdown from going to waste at least. Marinette’s eyes popped open immediately in panic, and she drank in the sight of Adrien’s hurt, resigned expression.

To everyone’s shock, Marinette spun herself around as far as she could, grasping Adrien’s face between her hands and pulling his cheeks slightly. “NO!” Marinette barked. “No Sadrien!” Nino gaped silently. He wondered if Marinette had finally lost her mind, and moved forward to get the crazy girl off of his best bro, but when he reached for them, Adrien’s expression froze him.

Adrien’s face morphed from a resigned acceptance to a stunningly besotted look. When Nino reached forward to remove Marinette from Adrien’s lap, however, that besotted look quickly turned into a territorial, warning glower that stopped Nino in his tracks. As though she couldn’t see the danger leaking off of Adrien in waves, Marinette leaned forward to hug Adrien, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head against his.

“I’m so sorry, Adrien. Your face makes me nervous sometimes, so I mess up my words.” Marinette admitted in a low tone. Adrien’s eyes softened even as Nino continued to feel the silent warning of imminent danger. Adrien wrapped his arms back around Marinette’s waist. Besides a small jolt, Marinette didn’t seem to react, so Adrien slowly relaxed into the embrace, giving one last warning glare to Nino before closing his eyes and leaning his weight against Marinette’s.

Nino took a defensive step back, unsure if he should even stay here anymore. Obviously the two were much better friends than anyone had known. With Marinette already under so much pressure, Nino regretted ever pulling her aside. He couldn’t have known how easily upset she would be, but Nino still found himself feeling like a terrible friend.

“It’s okay, Marinette. My face makes people do strange things sometimes, I know.” Adrien quipped, a small smile playing about his face. Nino heard a faint snort, and realized it was Marinette.

“Yes, you’re pretty, silly model boy, but it’s your eyes that get me.” Marinette confessed. Nino felt a flush rising. This felt really close to a confession, but he wasn’t sure he was allowed to leave. He bore silent witness to the flush that rapidly covered Adrien’s face as Marinette continued. “They’re so pretty, so deep and empathetic. I get lost in your green eyes and can’t remember what I want to say.”

Adrien’s mouth moved, but no sounds emerged, leaving him gaping rather similarly to a fish. Nino would have laughed if he hadn’t been the victim of a sincere Marinette in his past. Marinette chuckled and drew back as she finished speaking. “I don’t suppose you’d wear a mask for me, would you, hot stuff?”

Nino had never felt secondhand embarrassment so strongly before. In front of his eyes, he watched two of his best friends silently stare before quite obviously attempting to suffocate themselves to death. When neither died, Marinette hopped off of Adrien’s lap so quickly Nino couldn’t see it, and Adrien stood immediately after, looking anywhere but at Marinette.

“Right!” Adrien squeaked. “So! My face is your kryptonite, got it! Wear a mask! Okay! Protect Princess from Hawkbutt! Yes Ma’am!” Marinette looked equally flustered, facing away from Adrien and stomping her feet as she tried to press her blush away with the bare force of her hands.

“Right! No! I mean! Maybe?! I don’t know! Can we pretend this didn’t happen?!” Marinette burst out in response. They both chose that moment to glance at each other before squeaking and turning away in tandem. Nino felt a sigh building up. These two were going to kill him, he just knew it.

“We should get to class. We’re already late.” Nino helpfully reminded them. With frantic nods, the two agreed and walked in sync towards the classroom. Just before they reached their destination, Marinette paused and faced Adrien with a small frown. Adrien looked back, red-faced and flustered, but noticeably drinking in the sight of her.

“How did you know Chat calls me princess?”

_Shit!!_


End file.
